Historical
Event: As if the Union campaign up the Red
River had not been enough of a failure, falling waters trapped the
fleet above the rapids at Alexandria. Faced with the ignominious choice of either
surrendering or scuttling the ships, Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter eagerly
agreed to a scheme by a lieutenant colonel from the 4thWisconsin,
Joseph Bailey, to build a dam to raise the river. Construction began on April 30. While Bailey
built his dam and its attendant structures, Porter’s sailors lightened their
vessels by unshipping many of their heavy guns and even removing some of the
armor from the ironclads. Two weeks
later, with Confederate troops fast approaching, most of the fleet managed to
ride the rapids to safety before the dam collapsed. Porter, saying he was done with rivers,
sought and took command of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron.

Game Connection: The Red River campaign is represented by a space on the
map and a card played by the Confederates (CSN
Card 76 – Red River Fiasco). This is
a design choice because few Union players would otherwise voluntarily commit
such large forces, including their precious ironclads, to the complicated and
highly problematic scheme concocted by Union General Henry Halleck. Admiral Porter
is also represented in the game, both as a stand-up leader and as a card (USN Card 2 – David Dixon Porter & His
Little Mortar Boats).

Friday, April 18, 2014

ACW Gamer The Ezine, a new publication devoted to "wargaming the war between the states in miniature" profiles Rebel Raiders on the High Seas in its third and current issue. The six-page article entitled "Finally, the Civil War at Sea: Strategic Naval Gaming in Rebel Raiders on the High Seas," is lavishly illustrated with pictures of the box cover, map and some of the key cards in the game.

Other articles in Vol. I, No. 3 include a report on Civil War gaming at the Cold Wars miniatures convention which was held in March in Lancaster, PA; and after-action report of a big miniatures battle; a primer on the Springfield rifled musket and items on building terrain, modeling an observation balloon and painting 18 mm scale Union infantry.

For a peak inside the magazine, visit the website at: http://www.acwgamer.com/

Historical
Event: Under the cover of darkness on April 9, 1864, six Rebel sailors under
the command of Lt. Hunter Davidson quietly steamed their tiny little torpedo
launch out into Hampton Roads to strike one of the largest and mightiest
men-o-war in the Union fleet: the great USS Minnesota. The aptly named CSS
Squib carried but a single spar-mounted torpedo, while the Yankee
warship mounted 47 guns of many calibers.
The small armored launch struck home, caused something of a panic aboard
the great steam frigate, and got away – no mean feat in the middle of a Union
squadron. The USS Minnesota also
survived, suffering more embarrassment than damage.

USS Minnesota was one of the largest of the pre-war
frigates. She was the flagship of the
North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, sank or captured 22 blockade runners and
added her guns to the bombardments of FortFisher. In March 1862 she fought heroically against
the CSS
Virginia when the iron monster made its first foray. Despite being driven aground, the USS
Minnesota kept on fighting, with her gunners firing over 500 rounds at
the Rebel ironclad during that two-day battle.

CSS
Squib was one of a class of fast little torpedo boats, a cousin to the
more famous CSS
David, which attacked the USS New Ironsides in CharlestonHarbor in October 1863 – and with
considerably more effect, doing enough damage to put the big ship out of action
for a time.

Game Connection: Union frigates play many roles in Rebel
Raiders on the High Seas. Like USS
Minnesota, they bombard Confederate port batteries, intercept blockade
runners and even hunt down the raiders for whom the game is named. The Confederates have many weapons at their
disposal to try to break the blockade, among them the CSS
Squib’s cousin, CSS
David, which appears in the game as CSN Card 63. Her target, USS
New Ironsides, is also in the game, as a counter and as USN Card 26.

Friday, April 4, 2014

-Dedicated to Civil War episodes, battles, people and ships
that also appear in my game, GMT’s Rebel
Raiders on the High Seas.

April 4, 1864 – Congress
Says “No” to Rebel-Friendly Maximilian

Historical
Event: Alarmed byNapoleon III’s
declared intent to crown Maximilian
as Emperor of Mexico, on April 4, 1864 Congress passed a joint resolution deploring
the French intervention in that country and added that the United States would
not “acknowledge any monarchical government” which would be installed “under the
auspices of any European power.” The
French and notably Maximilian himself were sympathetic to the Confederacy, and
French ports in Europe, her colonies and Mexico
were havens for Rebel blockade runners. Mexican President Benito Juarez, who led the
fight against the French interventionist forces, was an admirer and ally of
President Lincoln. Both men believed France
harbored imperial ambitions that would extend beyond Mexico,
and that Napoleon III and Maximilian might ally with the Confederacy.

Game
Connection: France
and Maximilian are both represented
in Rebel
Raiders on the High Seas.
Confederate Blockade Runners may be built in and load cargo in France and Mexico, and while in play the Maximilian Card (CSN Card 61)
provides additional benefits including a modifier to the Confederate Supply
attrition die roll and a free Blockade Runner every turn.

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

-Dedicated to Civil War episodes, battles, people and
ships that also appear in my game,GMT’s Rebel
Raiders on the High Seas.

April 1, 1864 –
Make Ready the CSSAlbemarle!

Historical
Event: On April 1, 1864 the new
Confederate ironclad ram, the CSS
Albemarle, was towed to Hamilton, North Carolina, in preparation for
the attack on the Union base and squadron at nearby Plymouth. That operation and the ensuing naval action
on April 19 would show that Union fears and concerns about the “monster” were
fully warranted. (More on that later in the month), although worries that she
might steam out into the Chesapeake and then up the Potomac to bombard
Washington were purely the stuff of nightmares – but nightmares that
nevertheless led the Union to take extraordinary measures to take her out.

Game Connection: The CSS Albemarle
is only one of the many great ships which play a role in my strategic Civil War
naval game Rebel Raiders on the HighSea. The powerful ironclad ram is
represented by its own counter and card (CSN
Card 75), which reflect its abilities, real and feared.

About Me

Mark G. McLaughlin is a Connecticut-based freelance journalist and game designer with over 30 years of experience as a ghostwriter and columnist. An author whose first published book was Battles of the American Civil War, Mark continues to be enthralled by history, wargames, and science fiction.